In the garbage business, there's a very particular recovery effort going on to keep every bottle and can alive and away from the ultimate resting place.
"If they go to a landfill they can break down and they can produce methane gas, which is a potent greenhouse gas, and that can escape into the atmosphere.
So recycling is very important because recycling helps protect the environment," said Robert Reed with NorCal Waste System.
Protecting the environment is what many try to do when we use our recycle bins, but now a new study by the San Francisco corporate watchdog group As You Sow is making sure America's largest beverage companies are doing their part as well.
"The goal of the report is to benchmark the different beverage companies and see what they are doing about recycling," said Amy Galland, with As You Sow.
As You Sow analyzed 16 companies and looked at things like their recycling efforts, transparency and reducing the amount of materials in their bottles and cans.
"You can see by our report that there are several major companies that failed," said Galland. "Coca-Cola scored the best, but even so, their grade was only a 'C.'"
"We'd like to see more change and more things happen and it looks like they're going to move in a more environmentally friendly direction," said Gallard.
To read the report for yourself click here.
